


As The World Blooms

by takeyourtimes



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Baekhyun's POV in a Small Part, Blooming Days AU, EXO are a Bunch of Weird Creatures, Jongdae's POV, Labyrinth AU, Labyrinth References, M/M, Violence is from Beheading(?)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-29
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-09 12:12:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16449731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/takeyourtimes/pseuds/takeyourtimes
Summary: Prompt #116Title: As The World BloomsPairing: Baekhyun/JongdaeSummary: Jongdae was swept away way too easily.





	As The World Blooms

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to the prompter for this, I literally screamed when I saw the prompt. I actually wanted to write something like this when Blooming Days had come out so I'm glad that this prompt let me! Thanks as well to the mods who made this fest, and fic, possible!

“So, I’ve been seeing someone for a while.”

The thudding of books sounded as Jongdae let the mountain in his arms fall at their feet. Literature was littered on the floor, some splayed opened and Jongdae hoped none of the pages had bent or creased.

“Hey!” Minseok maneuvered his feet out, careful not to step on any.

Jongdae bent quickly and began gathering the hefty hardcovers. “Sorry, you just surprised me, last time you said you weren’t interested in anyone.” He watched his hands shake while stacking the books once more, hoping the other wouldn’t notice.

Minseok leaned on the shelf behind them, sighing. “I might have been lying.”

“ _Huh?_ ” Jongdae quickly looked to both sides of the aisle, hoping his sudden volume didn't disturb anyone. “Why?”

“We weren’t serious.” He shrugged. “I wanted to make sure of things.”

Jongdae hoisted himself and the books back up, grunting. “So… you guys are serious, then?” He ignored the pounding in his chest and prayed Minseok couldn’t hear it in this quiet library.

“I think I love him.” A delicate blush spread on Minseok’s cheeks and he let out an endearing and embarrassed laugh.

Jongdae kind of wanted a bookshelf to fall on him and end this progressing nightmare. Of course, it didn’t happen and he was stuck in this moment. “That’s great! I’m happy you found someone.”

“Thanks.” Minseok blushed happily, enjoying his friend’s approval. “Um, I should get going, I’m meeting him soon.” He pushed himself off the shelf and began making his way out of the aisle. “I’ll see you around, okay?”

Jongdae cursed as a single book fell from the top of his mountain when he turned to say his goodbye, why did the cart have to be broken? “Yeah, later.”

He stared at the book on the floor, debating on risking the others falling by picking it up or just kicking it in frustration. With a sigh, he slowly bent his knees to bring himself and the books down to the ground. He placed them on the side and reached for the fallen one.

“Labyrinth, huh?” Jongdae read the title curiously.

“Jongdae.” A voice at the end of the aisle made him startle. It was the main librarian peeking past a shelf, her hair hanging slightly and eyes glittering in amusement. “Once you finish with those, you’re free to go.”

“Ah, okay, thanks.”

He tried to hurry and finish, wanting to leave and suffer on his own time away from work. Thankfully, all the books were located close together and Jongdae quickly, and somewhat quietly, completed his work before he bursted. With a quick farewell to the main librarian, he rushed his way out. He sighed at the sky once he was able to smell fresh air, it smelt like rain. The sky was filled with fluffy grey clouds, there was no doubt it was going to start sprinkling soon but Jongdae didn’t want to go home just yet.

He knew exactly where he wanted to settle down at, the local cafe located around the corner. There was a spot hidden from everyone else in the back corner where he could indulge in a hot chocolate and maybe cry, just a little bit, without anyone bothering him. Okay, he wouldn’t cry but he could mope in peace.

As soon as he walked in the smell of fresh coffee calmed him a bit, it was such a refreshing smell even if he didn’t enjoy the drink itself. The room always glowed with browns and oranges, giving it a warm and cozy feeling. He had often fallen asleep here while studying throughout his school life. He was a regular, like most of the younger population in his small town.

“Ah, Jongdae!” Yerim, the newest cashier and server, noticed him immediately. “The usual?”

Jongdae walked up to the counter, already pulling bills from his wallet as she began inputting his order even without his confirmation. “Please.”

“Rough day at work?” She inquired, handing him his receipt and turning away to begin on his drink.

“Something like that.” He sighed as he pushed himself away from the counter to tread to the back of the place.

“I hope the hot chocolate will make things better.” Yerim empathized. “I’ll bring it to you soon!”

Her last bit was a little louder than the usual inside voice because Jongdae was already halfway to his destination. It didn’t really matter how loud she spoke when the only two customers present had their noses deep in their laptops and earphones drowning everything out. They paid Jongdae no mind as he passed them and rounded the the corner.

The space was small enough to fit only one table for two, an intimate and hidden space away from the rest of the cafe. Jongdae sat in the chair facing the wall that blocked the sight of the door, although he knew that it wasn’t the door right on front of him and  instead it was the whole kitchen and storage area that kept this spot hidden. He often wondered if it was a fluke in the place’s design but was thankful for it nonetheless.

Seconds after he settled himself down, Yerim appeared from around the corner. She smiled warmly as she took the hot chocolate off her tray to place it in front of Jongdae. It was decorated with the usual whipped cream, chocolate swirls, and giant marshmallow. The rich smell wafted upwards and made his mouth water.

“Here you go.” Yerim chirped, already backing away to give him his privacy. “Enjoy!”

He hummed as he lifted the cup towards him to lick at the whipped cream. It was sweet and soft and tasted slightly like the syrup drizzled on it. He picked at the toppings for a while longer in hopes that the actual drink would cool down in the meantime. By the time he could tell it was safe, only a piece of the marshmallow remained.

A sip and-

“Hey there. Is this seat taken?”

The drink nearly sloshed all over Jongdae’s lap when he startled. Luckily, his upper lip was the only part of him that suffered. His hands fluttered about for a napkin as his eyes drifted upwards to see who came to disturb him, he probably looked ridiculously frantic.

Before him was a man with an eyebrow arched in question.

“Um?” Jongdae couldn’t find any words, he was genuinely shocked someone had came up to him here. Perhaps he wasn’t the only one who enjoyed this spot.

“Can I sit with you?” The stranger tried again, already placing his hand on the chair across from Jongdae.

“Um?” He repeated once more, wincing over the fact that he couldn’t speak.

The man smirked as he brought himself to sit, not really waiting for an real answer. He wanted to sit with Jongdae.

“You look like you could use the distraction of good company.”

Jongdae snorted, coming back to himself. “Yeah, because sitting in a secluded area, alone, screams that I want someone to join me.”

The man gestured to himself. “And here I am.”

“Here you are.” Jongdae sighed, finally bringing himself to drink his lukewarm hot chocolate. The stranger didn’t seem like he wanted to leave so Jongdae decided he should finish up quickly and escape while he can. He avoided looking at him, hoping the other would get the message that he _really_ didn’t want him here.

The stranger just sat there contently, from what Jongdae could tell, singing quietly along to the song drifting around the room. He suddenly intrigued Jongdae, a bold stranger with a sweet voice, silver hair, and nice fingers that strummed onbeat against the table.

Jongdae licked his lips, tasting chocolate once again. “So…”

“Hmm?” Eyes sparkled as Jongdae finally gave him attention. A corner of his mouth lifted in a waiting smile, it was charming.

“I’ve never seen you here before.” Jongdae honestly couldn’t believe that was the best conversation starter he could think of.

The other laughed, it was a loud and full sound that could easily attract attention from those around. “But I’ve seen you.”

“O-oh, okay.” That wasn’t weird or anything. Then again, why else would he be approached so easily if he hadn’t seen Jongdae before. “I’m here a lot.”

“It’s a cute place.” The stranger hummed. “I’m Baekhyun, by the way.”

A slender and pretty hand was outstretched and Jongdae took it. He wiggled in his seat, spine tingling and hand burning with the contact. He swallowed and pulled his hand away, not knowing if his reaction was a good or bad thing. “I’m Jongdae.”

Baekhyun’s eyes glowed at the other’s introduction, expression victorious. “Nice to meet you.”

“Sure.” Jongdae didn’t exactly agree but he wasn’t going to ignore this man now that he’s here, obviously on a mission to talk to him. “Might have been better if it were a different day.”

“What do you mean?” The other cocked his head, curious.

Jongdae huffed a chuckle. “What I _mean_ is that no one really wants to be hit on when they’re in a shitty mood.”

“Hmm, but I think now was probably the best time for me to swoop in.” Again, his eyes glittered mischievously. Did they always sparkle or was something going on that Jongdae was unaware of?

“Swoop?” Jongdae repeated with an eye roll. This man couldn’t have any knowledge of him basically being rejected so he really just sounded like an asshole picking him up rather than someone trying to be a rebound. But, Jongdae would’ve rolled his eyes for the latter as well.

“Yeah.” A smile. “So, what’s on your mind?”

Jongdae audibly opened his mouth but didn’t speak. He was contemplating, should he vent? A stranger could give the best advice at times, being an outside gives different perspectives. However, this guy was hitting on him, did he really want to tell him about his failed love life? He’ll go for a different route.

“Do you ever just want to escape?” Jongdae inquired, not expecting a serious answer. He dropped his gaze, twiddling his hands. He sounded cryptic, it was a little embarrassing hearing himself say that. It would’ve been much worse if the other knew the only problem he wanted to run from was a failed love.

“How melodramatic.” Was the response. This man didn’t even know what Jongdae was worrying about but still thought he was overreacting. “Well, that’s not an easy thing to do.” Baekhyun continued thoughtfully, hooking a finger around one of Jongdae’s, trying to bring his attention back up. “How about running off with me?”

Jongdae blinked up at him, seeing the other fully. He was handsome, his features, framed by the silver hair, were soft and striking at the same. He gave off a mischievous and confident feeling, like he knew Jongdae couldn’t refuse him and if he did, he’d easily convince him otherwise. He raised an eyebrow in question and placed an elbow on the table, settling his chin on his hand.

“What do you say?” Baekhyun pressed, making Jongdae realize he was openly staring instead of responding. “Want to come into my world?”

“Is that some type of pick-up line?” Jongdae sighed, pushing himself to sit upright after he realized he had leaned in slightly.

A grin. “It can be.”

Jongdae couldn’t help his blush, this man was pretty. “I’ll consider it.”

It’s not like Jongdae had a reason to refuse. His crush was in a serious relationship and he had to move on somehow. Baekhyun was charming, in a way he couldn’t describe, almost alluring. He didn’t see the harm in… dating, if that’s what the other man was implying.

Baekhyun strummed his fingers against his cheek and Jongdae noticed that his fingertips glittered as they moved. Nail polish? “Tonight? Your place?”

“H-huh?” Jongdae sputtered over his drink that he was consuming to distract himself. Wait, did this man want something that was a little more than a date? It’s been a while since Jongdae went down this road, so he was unsure. “Okay?”

“Great!” The silver-haired man sprung up, escaping quickly after hearing Jongdae’s consent. “I’ll come and get you then.”

Jongdae watched him saunter his way out, losing sight of him once the wall intercepted his line of vision. He sighed and stared at his now cold hot chocolate, wondering where the night will lead him. As he stood to leave as well, he realized that he hadn’t given Baekhyun his address nor his phone number. Maybe his night wasn’t going anywhere and maybe, just maybe, he was slightly upset about it.

The pouring rain he saw once he turned past the wall’s corner practically confirmed his uneventful night. He wanted to escape the distress of the day but it seemed like the weather had other plans for him, being gloomy from the second he stepped out of his job. With nothing to shield him from being pelted and soaked, he pushed open the door and began jogging his way home.

He didn’t even have a foot through the door when he heard his mother groan at his appearance and it was followed by a huff and glare when he closed the door behind him. In return, he gave a sheepish smile.

“My floors, Jongdae!” She complained, staring at the puddle forming at his feet, wincing at every drop of water hitting the floor.

“Sorry, I’ll clean it.” Jongdae apologized. “You’re going out?”

His mother was dressed in a pretty a-line dress, the color a deep emerald, and complemented it with heels, jewelry, and soft waves of hair. She had always been one to go all out for the simplest things.

“It’s Friday.” She blinked as if she was wondering if he had forgotten.

Date night with her husband.

“Oh, right.” Jongdae chuckled, trying to slink away to go rid himself of his sopping clothing.

“What’s all the fuss down here?” His mother’s husband peeked over the banister above them. He looked like he was wearing a suit to match with his wife’s enthusiasm. “Jongdae you’re back.”

“I’m back.” He echoed.

“He’s back and dirtying my floors.” His mother began complaining again as her husband began descending the stairs.

“They’ll cleanup easily, they’re hardwood.” Came the gruff response that brought a pout to his wife’s face. “Come on, we’ll be late.”

Jongdae began making his escape as they gathered their things he was half way up the stairs when his mother yelled at him once more to make sure to cleanup and ‘stay out of trouble’ before leaving. He wasn’t much of a troublemaker but his mom seemed to like to stick to stereotypical motherly phrases.

He decided to clean the puddles he created once he changed into clothes that weren’t sticking to his skin in an uncomfortable way. Jongdae had just finished pulling his shirt over his head when he heard light tapping on his window. It wasn’t rain, as he had been hearing it for the past few minutes, so it had made him jump. Something was _there_ and that was terrifying considering he was on the second floor.

Jongdae had quick thought of ignoring it and going back downstairs and it had turned into action the moment he heard an actual knock sound on the glass. He was almost out his door when he heard the window burst open. He shivered at the cool air entering as well as whoever had pushed his window wide.

“Sorry, you didn’t answer.” A voice, it sounded familiar.

Baekhyun was there, leaning against the frame of the opened window. There was no light, as Jongdae had switched it off when he passed it, and there was no moonlight shining through the clouds and rain but Jongdae could tell it was him.

“What the hell?” Jongdae didn’t move from his spot at the door. If he needed to bolt, he could. “How? Why- how are you here.”

Baekhyun simply smiled at his confusion. “I thought we made plans tonight?”

Jongdae blinked. “I never told you my address. Also, this is the second floor and it’s _raining._ ” One glance over Baekhyun’s shoulder confirmed it was still in fact pouring outside. “Front doors exist.”

A shrug but no answer to the most important statement. “They’re all entrances and exits.”

“I don’t think that’s what windows are for.” Jongdae shook his head, he was starting to banter with the other even in this situation.

Baekhyun chuckled under his breath. “C’mon, put your jacket and shoes on so we can get going.”

Jongdae didn’t really know why but he found himself scrambling for those items. Did he really plan on following this guy? Before he knew it, he was standing in front of Baekhyun, ready to go.

Baekhyun stepped out of the room, through the window, and held his hand out to help Jongdae. Rain pattered against the roof behind him, wind blowing his silver over his glowing eyes. It was calm and picturesque, it felt like a dream.

“Why are we acting like we’re teenagers sneaking out?” Jongdae questioned, taking Baekhyun’s hand tightly. He was pulled most of the way out and was surprised by the other’s strength. A gust of wind came forward and Jongdae squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting any rain or debris to fly into them. He felt himself be set upright and opened his eyes to find himself _not_ on his roof.

He was… nowhere. It wasn’t like he couldn’t see but all he could find around him was white. And right in front of him, in the middle of it all, was Baekhyun. He was… different, more striking in his looks. He was also no longer in casual wear but a suit, red and black. Baekhyun’s eyes were lined upwards, towards his eyebrows, and the lids glittered. Makeup?

“What the fuck.” Jongdae let out. “Is this really a dream?”

“You followed me here, what are you going on about?” Baekhyun laughed, eyes twinkling in amusement.

“Y-you… huh?” Jongdae felt the panic start to build in his chest as his heart sped up. Did he really walk into this on his own? Of course he did, he took Baekhyun’s hand with only a few questions. But never in his right mind would he think something like this, whatever this is, would happen. “Where are we?”

“This is where I’m from.” Baekhyun gestured around to the empty space. “My kingdom.”

“Kingdom.” Jongdae blinked, not believing a word. “Okay, that's nice. Can I go now?”

Baekhyun smile faltered a little, eyes dulling fully. “What do you mean?”

“Um, I want to leave…?” He was unsure why he needed to follow up on his wish.

“Where?” Baekhyun was being oblivious, whether it was on purpose or not, Jongdae didn't know.

“Home.” Jongdae pointed over his shoulder as if his room was still there behind him.

The other’s smile was completely gone after Jongdae had said that. He wasn’t expecting this reaction. “I thought you wanted to escape?”

“Yeah…? I said that, didn’t I?” Jongdae swallowed the lump forming in his throat. This is _not_ what he had meant when he said those words.

“And here I am, giving you what you wanted.” Baekhyun rose an eyebrow, arching it prettily.

Jongdae stared at the other, the reality of this situation officially settling in. “Who are you?”

Baekhyun grinned, his perfect teeth almost shining, and did a mock bow. “My name is Baekhyun, though you already know that.” He locked eyes with Jongdae. “The Goblin King.”

“Goblin King.” Jongdae tested the words out, finding that somehow they fit the man standing before him. He was confident and mischievous, the air around him mysterious and otherworldly, even more so with his current appearance. There was just something different about him and it wasn’t the makeup. “Okay, so how can I get home? You should know right?”

Baekhyun huffed an incredulous laugh. “Of course I would know.” His eyes lit up once again, dancing in an idea. “But that doesn’t mean I’d let you out without a fight.”

“A fight?” The human squawked.

“Perhaps that was the wrong word to use…” Baekhyun hummed. “A challenge? Maybe a chase?”

“Does it matter?” Jongdae brought the other’s focus back to him. “Just tell me what you need me to do.”

Suddenly, Minseok was there with them. Next to Baekhyun wore the exact same clothes Jongdae had seen him in hours earlier, smiling. Jongdae swallowed and turned his wide eyes back to Baekhyun.

“Y-you didn’t…”

The king laughed loudly, throwing his head back and with a wave of his fingers made Minseok vanish. Baekhyun grabbed for the air where he once stood and caught a key, it was a pretty gold.

“I didn’t.” Baekhyun grinned before waving the key in front of Jongdae. “This is your key out of here.”

Jongdae made a grab for it but missed it by an inch when the Goblin King moved away.

“Ah, hold on a second, I did say there was a challenge.” The king tsk-ed. “If you really want to get out of here, you’ll need to solve my labyrinth first.”

“What labyrinth?” Jongdae questioned. “There’s… nothing here but you and I.”

The Goblin King laughed again, teeth showing and bringing a shudder through Jongdae. He turned and began walking, like he was leaving him. Jongdae gaped as he watched the man turn and then slowly… disappear. Inch by inch, parts of him vanished from sight till he was nowhere to be seen. It looked as if he was a whiteboard drawing being erased in one careful swipe, no fading or disintegrating, he was just gone.

“Twenty-one hours.” A teasing disembodied voice reminded him. “I’ll be waiting with the key.”

“What the hell…?” Hesitantly, Jongdae took steps forward. He had no clue where to go from here, where Baekhyun went, or if he was even going to succeed in this task with no knowledge whatsoever. He didn’t even really agree to take on this challenge after being told what it was. Despite that, he couldn’t just stand around and do nothing so he brought his legs to stride forward with faux confidence. His nose bumped into… something. He bounced back, rubbing it to rid the feeling of it being squashed. “Huh…?”

Tentatively, Jongdae brought his hands in front of him, feeling for anything. His hands touched a cold, smooth surface. His mouth parted in surprise once he turned his head. He could see scattered windows and even doors he hadn’t seen before, it was as if he was looking down a corridor. Walking to his right now, he spread his arms out and felt _walls_ on either side of him as he continued on. He huffed a laugh of disbelief and his legs almost gave way in shock. It really was a labyrinth, one he couldn’t even see the pathways to.

“Hello.”

Jongdae whipped around, looking for the owner of the sudden greeting. There was no one around, at least someone he could see.

“I said hello.” There it goes again. “Down here.”

“Down?” At first Jongdae looked near his feet but once he saw nothing he slowly brought his line of vision up slowly and saw…

A worm?

It was perched on a windowsill, staring right at him. The worm was blue, with a grey belly, had a small tuft of orange hair on it’s head, and was wrapped nicely in a scarf that matched it’s stomach. Jongdae couldn’t bring himself to believe it was a clothed worm talking to him, it was _too_ weird, so he continued his search, hoping for something else. He didn’t see anything at all.

“D-did you say hello?” His question was directed at the worm, throwing his doubts aside.

“Yeah!” It nodded it’s head and responded to Jongdae’s surprise.

“You’re a worm, aren’t you?” Hesitance stained Jongdae’s voice.

“That’s right!” It agreed happily, squirming closer to the edge to be closer to the human. “The name’s Sehun.”  

“Jongdae.” He introduced himself back. “You wouldn’t happen to know your way around this labyrinth?”

“Me?” It exclaimed, shaking its head. “No way, I’m just a worm.”

“I see…This place looks like it’ll give me some trouble. There’s no visible pathway, I can’t see any twists or turns no matter where I look.” Jongdae slumped against the wall he couldn't see, settling next to the worm’s windowsill.

“Just forget all that! Why don’t you come inside?” The worm suggested as he began wiggling his way towards the flowerpot Jongdae hadn’t noticed before. It held a pretty bunch of orange-pink flowers with almost purple veins. If that was it’s home, there’s no way Jongdae would fit there.

“I’m alright, thanks for the offer.” Jongdae stood once more as he talked. “I need to get going. Any last advice?” He wanted to get _something_ out of this small encounter, he really needed the help.

“Try going through some windows and doors you see around.” The worm suggested. “Even if you can’t see anything, that doesn’t mean a place is empty.”

“Hmm. How about that one?” Jongdae pointed to a window a few feet away. It was slightly bigger than the one this worm lived on, he could make his way through it easier.

“Do whatever you want to do.” It encouraged, resigning from their conversation.

The man nodded and made his way towards it. Swallowing, he pushed the window open, grunting at the weight of it falling against gravity. Immediately, he could smell a different scent from the other side, it was soft and pleasant. That was something. Without looking back, Jongdae crawled his way to the other side.

Sehun, the worm, shook his head as he watched the human disappear. “He shouldn’t have gone through that window! The one further down would’ve lead him right out of here!”

 

Jongdae was no longer lost in nothingness, though he could still see it through the window he just crawled through. The room was a soft peach color, the smell sweet to match. It was full of clear vases, varying in sizes, some filled with small amounts flowers while some were empty. Although the room was scattered with the flowers and glass, what stood out in the room was the chair, the tiny table next to it, and a hallway across the room that was a mint color.

He began making his way through the room, maneuvering around the vases, but stopped to examine the table. Vials filled with different colored liquids rested on top of it along with… a blender? It was a weird combination, Jongdae thought. He pulled himself away, not wanting to be sucked into something more odd, and finished making his way to the hallway.

More flowers filled the area even in this mint section, only this time in clay pots. They weren’t normally planted flowers but were the tops only, piled and piled, in each pot. What made this area even more off was the fact that it was a dead end, there was no entrance to anywhere else and it didn’t continue elsewhere.

With a sigh, Jongdae turned around to exit through the window he crawled in from. It wasn’t there, the peach room was windowless. Jongdae felt his heart drop in panic, he was stuck in here.

“You have to be kidding me.” He felt like he was going to drop to his knees and scream at any moment.

“Perhaps, one of us is a liar afterall.” A voiced mused from behind him.

After letting a squawk out, he spun and faced the hallway once more. Two old copper doors, displaying matching knockers with _faces_ on them, were at the end of the hall

“This was a dead end a minute ago.”

“No, behind you is obviously a dead end.” Claimed the knocker with a…dimple?  

“I wonder if he has trouble seeing?” The other mused.

“It’s not that!” Jongdae huffed. “This place just changed on me.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The dimpled one responded, eyes widening. It was fascinating to see, copper moving and shifting like flesh. “We’ve always been here, right Jongin?”

“Yeah, there’s no way way we could move!” Jongin, Jongdae had presumed, exclaimed.

Jongdae sighed, pushing back his hair in frustration. He had just started maneuvering around this place and it was already messing with him. Would he be alright finding the rest of the way?

“Whatever.” He brushed the conversation away with a wave of his hand. “I’m guessing the two of you are ways to get out, then?”

The dimpled knocker cleared his throat as if he were preparing a speech and the other knocker laughed over the action. Jongdae watched as the two gave each other eyes and he wondered if they were going to argue.

“My name is Yixing.” The dimpled one introduced himself. “And that one there is Jongin.”

“We’re knockers.” Came Jongin’s input.

“I can see that.” Jongdae wanted them to hurry and tell him them their purpose.

Yixing continued on, ignoring the two remarks. “We lead to ways out of this room. One of us leads to the next part of the labyrinth while the other leads to-”

“Certain death!” Jongin interrupted his fellow knocker excitedly, not caring for the glare it earned him.

Jongdae pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping they wouldn’t start fighting soon so he could leave. “Okay, so which one of you can get me out of here, _safely_.”

Another look between the two.

“We don’t know.” An answer in unison, genuine looks on their faces.

“Huh?” Jongdae felt his insides burn up in outrage but pushed it down quickly, getting angry was not going to help him here.

“W-we’re stuck on the door like this.” Yixing’s voice was shaken up, most likely from the human’s outburst. “And we open outwards, we’ve never seen what we lead to.”

“We just let beings through.” Jongin elaborated.

The human sighed. “I don’t have time for this.”

Jongdae stared at the two, trying to decide which would be best. The knockers stared back in anticipation and only looked away to glance at each other once more. There was really no way in telling where they led to so Jongdae would have to wing it, he supposed. He walked up to Yixing’s door, not giving himself a chance to hesitate.

“Oh.” Jongdae let out. “There’s no doorknob.”

Yixing blinked at him a few times before he collected himself to respond. “You have to knock and the door will open.”

Jongdae nodded and started to reach for the knocker below Yixing’s sculpted face.

“Wait!” Yixing stopped him with his words. “Why did you chose me?”

Jongdae grasped the cool metal in his hand. “A gut feeling? You seem like a nice guy- uh, knocker.”

“Gut feeling?” Jongin was heard from the other side. “Is that alright?”

“I don’t know.” Came Yixing’s reply. “We wouldn’t know any better than him, either.”

Jongdae sighed again, they really were taking up his time. “Can I knock now?”

The knocker startled as if he didn’t even know Jongdae was there. “Oh, yeah, go ahead.”

The sound was soft, metal tapping metal, but it did the job. Yixing’s door was released from the frame and Jongdae pulled it the rest of the way open. In from of him was a corridor that lead to outside. There were trees, shrubs, and dirt at the end and it made him let out a breath of relief.

“I think I’ve got a knack for this.” Jongdae laughed, finally making his way in.

Jongdae never got to the end as his feet fell from under him. To be more precise, the floor beneath his feet had fell and brought him down with it. He felt his stomach fall as he did, he was barely able to gasp at the shock of it. Then, it stopped, he was being kept from falling and instead was being _handed_ downwards. There were hands on him, his arms and legs being grasped as he was lowered.

“S-stop!” Jongdae was able to regain his voice. It was shaky and unsure but the hands had heard, halting their actions.

“What do you mean stop?” The hands were talking. In front of him a group of hands had gathered together to create a face, the one that had spoken. “We’re just doing our job.”

“Yeah, we’re helping.” Another face to his left, the voice it had was higher than the last.

“Helping…” Jongdae repeated, voice leaking with doubt.

The first set of hands responded. “We’re helping hands.”

The face to his left moved in an up and down motion, it was nodding in agreement. “We’re helping you down.”

“Down?” Jongdae looked below and saw nothing but continuing darkness, going up probably would’ve been better. “Can’t I go back up?”

The hands holding his right arm let go and clustered together to speak to him and his heart sped up when that part of his body sank with the force of gravity. “Do you want to go up or down?”

Jongdae glanced up and saw the exact same sight as when he had looked below, the floor had closed him in. His gut brought him here and falling down a trap didn’t necessarily mean he chose wrongly. There was no turning back at this point.

“Since I’m already going, I guess down.”

Suddenly there were many other faces around him, snickering and mocking him and continued to do so the further they carried him.

“He chose down?”

“He chose down!”

Jongdae’s chest pounded as the hands hurriedly handed him down deeper and deeper into the ground. “Wait, did I chose wrong?”

“It’s too late now!”

That was the last voice he heard before he was completely dropped, his feet knocking another hatch open. He landed harshly on his palms and knees, a gruff noise escaping him at the impact. The trapdoor above him could be heard closing and he was left in a darkness even denser than before.

 

“He's in an oubliette.” Baekhyun mused, more to himself than the goblins mucking about around him. He was a little irked when they began to laugh after he let the words out. “Shut _up._ There's a dwarf down there that'd easily help him, that stupid keeper.”

The goblins quieted as soon as their king stood and let his words out, to his satisfaction. They all turned their eyes to the orb, a crystal ball of sorts, that showed Jongdae but lost interest quickly, going back to their mischief.

“It’s fine,” Baekhyun began, gaining their attention once more. “I can always intervene if I need to.” He chuckled, it wasn't a joke but he was in the mood and became irritated once more when the goblins around didn't follow. “Well, _laugh_.”

The room busted with chortles, they were almost too enthusiastic but Baekhyun didn't mind. He sat back down, satisfied, and began watching Jongdae once again. He could see him even in the blackness of the oubliette.

 

There was a noise,shuffling. It sounded like someone didn't know how to pick up their feet when the walked.

“Who's there?” Jongdae didn't know how his voice came out so strong and even with how scared he was. He couldn't see anything and didn't know if he could get out. He wouldn't be able to tell how much time had passed, he could easily be stuck in this fairytale land, in this hole, forever.

A space in the room flickered and lit, a lantern and someone holding it appeared in the corner. The being was small and his skin looked rough, leather like, and the color was off, in no way was it a human skin tone.

“A goblin…?” Jongdae took a guess, knowing he was wrong when the being pulled a sour face.

“I’m a dwarf.” His response was followed by a sigh as he pulled out a paper like material and held it against the rocky wall, scribbling on the surface. “One caught in oubliette 506.”

“Um, what are you doing?” Jongdae shifted to finally got off his knees and opted for sitting instead.

The material was rolled up and put away. “Jotting you down.”

“Why?”

“This is my job.” The dwarf tsked, not enjoying being questioned. “I’m a keeper, I go around and check on these little hell holes, see who’s living and who’s not.”

Jongdae’s jaw dropped with an audible pop. Maybe he really did make some bad decisions. “W-what exactly are these places for?”

“Why are you asking so many questions? Oubliettes are places where people are put to disappear, intentionally or not.” The dwarf picked up the lantern and opened it, Jongdae realized he was about to blow it out.

“Wait!” He scrambled towards the smaller being, grasping his free hand. “Don’t go. Could you help me out of here?”

The dwarf gaped at the human. “Why would I do that? You’re not the first to beg for their life here, y’know.”

“Please, I have to get out of here.” Jongdae’s grip tightened and he noticed the smaller being wince. “If I stay down here, that crazy king would probably come and get me once our bet has timed out. I just need to find my way out of this labyrinth, that’s it.”

“King?” The dwarf looked interested now, eyes actually focusing on the human. “As in the Goblin King?”

“Yeah, also goes by Baekhyun, sound familiar?” Hope was sprouting in Jongdae’s chest with the interest the dwarf showed in the name and title alone. He watched as the other being considered his options, praying for an okay.

“Alright.” The dwarf agreed, pulling out of Jongdae’s grip. “I’ll help you escape that damned seelie king.”

Jongdae didn't know what that meant but huffed out a breath as relief filled him up over the dwarf's agreement. 

“On one condition.”

“…What is it?” Jongdae hoped it wasn’t something impossible for him to do. What if he was asked to give his soul away or something. Were dwarfs into that?

“I don’t want to come into contact with him at all.”

“Oh.” It was surprising how simple the request was. “That’s fine, just lead me as far as you can.”

The dwarf nodded, putting the lantern down once more, without putting it out. He then moved behind a boulder and noisily rummaged through something.

“What are you doing?” Jongdae hadn’t moved from his spot, unsure whether or not to follow the other.

“Come here.” A push for Jongdae to follow.

Jongdae found him lifting a wooden door. The dwarf pushed it straight against the wall and it stuck easily, it was almost like he just placed a sticker there. He then began searching his pockets and Jongdae knew he found what he was looking for when the dwarf’s face lit up at the sound of jingling. Keys were pulled out and the clinking of metal filled the place. The smaller found the specific one for this door and opened it with ease, gesturing for Jongdae to walk through first.

“Wow.” Jongdae awed. “This place really is hard to figure out.”

The dwarf glanced at him as he passed to lead the way. “You get used to it.”

“I don’t think I want to stay here long enough for that to happen.” Jongdae chuckled, following the small being down a stone corridor, lit by lanterns. There were no other doors and Jongdae wondered if you had to put them there yourself, like the dwarf had done previously.

They turned a corner and Jongdae almost tripped over the one leading the way as he had stopped the moment he rounded the stone wall.

“Ah, careful.” Jongdae exclaimed, catching himself against the cool stone. “At least warn me if you’re gonna stop.”

“He’s right, we wouldn’t want him to trip and fall.”

Jongdae took his eyes off the dwarf to see Baekhyun leaning against the wall a few steps ahead of them. He looked like he was enjoying himself, his eyes dancing at the sight of their shock. Despite the feeling of danger that currently wafted off of him, the warm lighting of the caverns softened his face quite a bit.

“Y-your Majesty.” The dwarf bowed his head in calm submission but the rest of his body shook like a leaf.

“Hello, Kyungja.”

“It’s Kyungsoo.”

“So your name’s Kyungsoo, huh?” Jongdae should’ve asked about it earlier.

Baekhyun waved off Jongdae’s remark. “Yes, yes. Kyungsoo, you wouldn’t happen to be leading Jongdae out of here?”

Kyungsoo jumped a little at the question. “Of course not! I was only leading back to the beginning of the labyrinth.”

“Hey!” Jongdae couldn’t believe he fell for another trap.

“That’s good,” Hummed Baekhyun. “I thought I was going to have to take you to visit your little friends at The Bed of Eternal Sleep.”

Jongdae almost heard Kyungsoo gulp. “There’s no way I’d risk that happening!”

Baekhyun pushed himself off the wall and made his way towards them. He didn’t stop in front of them but rather made his way past them, the tips of his fingers sliding over Jongdae’s. “We’ll see.”

Jongdae turned to see where the king was going but found that he was left alone with the dwarf. He spun back to the smaller being, anger bubbling now that Baekhyun was gone.

“What the hell, Kyungsoo?”

“I said all that to trick him.” Jongdae would’ve believed him more if his voice wasn’t shaking. He was either lying or was still shaken up from his encounter with Baekhyun.

“Right, so why should I believe anything you say?”

“I could leave you right now, y’know.” Kyungsoo snapped, his fear leaking away now. “After all, my condition has already been broken.”

Jongdae scratched the back of his neck as he watched the dwarf start forward once again. “I guess you’re right…”

Softer this time. “You also don’t have much of a choice.”

The dwarf turned once more, towards the wall this time, and Jongdae noticed there was a latter. Kyungsoo began climbing and the human followed without question because the other was right, he really didn’t have much of a choice. Brighter light shone down on them once Kyungsoo pushed away whatever was covering the exit and the dwarf climbed out. Jongdae could see sky, real sky, from what he could tell.

When the human had fully climbed out, he wanted to laugh. From what emotion? He didn’t know. He was just glad he made it out of there, relieved Kyungsoo didn’t lead him backwards, and the fact he wasn’t surrounded by white nothingness like before. Instead the area was filled by hedges, green and neatly trimmed, and the sky above him, orange with an oncoming sunset. The place he was in seemed much more like labyrinth compared to where he was before.

“Which way should we go?” Jongdae asked the dwarf after looking at all the hedges and their pathways.

“Go whichever way you want.” Kyungsoo shrugged. “This is as far as I’m taking you.”

The human looked at the dwarf in shock. “You said-”

“I agreed to take you as far as I could, did I not?” Kyungsoo’s eyes were set, he was determined to part with Jongdae.

“Just a bit more.” Jongdae needed the help. “ _Please?_ ”

The dwarf shook his head. “I told you that I didn’t want to get involved with that king. I may dislike him but I’m also terrified of him.”

“He’s not that bad.” Jongdae wanted to facepalm as soon as the words came out.

“He’s trying to trap you here.” Kyungsoo deadpanned.

“…Yeah.” Jongdae pushed that thought away and approached the smaller being, grasping his hands once again. “Just a bit more, yeah? You can leave before I get to the castle so you won’t have to see him again.”

“Fine.” Kyungsoo definitely was a softie.

Jongdae fist pumped behind the dwarf’s back as he lead the way once more. He managed to keep Kyungsoo by his side for now.

“Ah, so what’s this about sleeping and flowers?” Jongdae’s mind went back to their conversation with Baekhyun.

“Are you asking about The Bed of Eternal Sleep?” Kyungsoo had stopped walking and was now trying to figure out which path to take next.

“The Bed of Eternal Sleep?” Jongdae echoed. “What’s that?”

“A flowerbed...a very fearsome one.” Kyungsoo seemed like he was shaking where he stood, it was almost comical. “We have to pass it on the way to the castle so keep an eye out for that.”

“A fearsome flowerbed.” He repeated after the other once again, doubting there was such a thing. Sleeping wasn’t a scary thing at all.

“You sound like you want to mock me, but listen here, those flowers will make you sleep for eternity.” Kyungsoo pushed passed him to continue leading the way after picking a route.

“Yeah, kind of got the from the name.” Jongdae muttered as he trailed behind, still not feeling threatened by the flowers.

The dwarf let out an exasperated noise. “If you fall asleep for eternity, there’s no way you could escape this place.”

Jongdae paused his steps, now realizing the situation. “Oh.”

“Yeah, _oh._ ” Kyungsoo sounded smug, he was able to mock back.

However, the dwarf was once again sent into fear as a deep yell sounded nearby. It was followed by what seemed like an explosion, without the boom. It was a burst of flames that could be seen over the green hedges, roaring sounds and heat reaching them.

“Y-y’know what?” Kyungsoo stammered, suddenly inching back from where they came.

Another roar, more flames.

“I take back my word!” The dwarf gasped, jumping even further away. “You can get through this on your own! I’m out of here!”

Jongdae gaped as the smaller being scampered off. “Wait a second! You coward, come back!”

With another burst of noise and heat, even closer than before, Jongdae knew the dwarf was long gone. He swallowed, faking the confidence in his steps towards the racket. “Well, I’m not afraid...”

As he neared, a wail sounded. It wasn’t followed by fire but instead with sneering and unintelligible chattering. Goblins? He reached a clearing, peeking his head around a wall of greenery. He was right, well, if that’s what they were, he still wasn’t really sure what they looked like. Little soldiers were wobbling about, harassing… something. All Jongdae could make out was matted fur. It was hung upside down by one foot and being prodded by the goblins. The floor beneath it was puddeled in water, most likely the same that was dripping off it’s fiery red fur.

Jongdae jumped when the creature stopped it’s struggling and met his eyes, pleading. A lump rose in his throat, he had no idea how he could help. Yet that didn’t stop him from taking a step forward to try and intervene. He coward back into hiding once when his foot had kicked a stone, bringing the goblins attention to his direction.

“Did you hear that?” He heard one of them ask.

“It was nothing, c’mon let’s finish this up.” Another brushed the topic away.

It wasn’t until Jongdae heard the sound of hitting and antagonizing did he once again reveal himself. This time, he had a plan. He grabbed for the stone he had kicked beforehand and chucked it at one of the goblins helmets, hiding himself immediately while hoping it hit. The was a sound of impact and Jongdae let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Next, came the sound of someone else being hit, dull metal from a helmet, and endless bickering. The sound of shuffling and fighting could be heard and it wasn’t until he realized it was drifting away that he peeked at the scene.

Jongdae caught a glimpse of the goblins rounding another corner, leaving the area, and he made his way to the unknown creature.

“H-hello…?”

A soft grunt and pleading eyes was the only response Jongdae received. The creature, no matter how big it looked, seemed safe enough to interact with. Then it spoke, voice deep and slow as if it was struggling to get it’s words out.

“Chanyeol is too wet to start a fire.” The creature pointed to the rope that kept him upside down.

“Chanyeol?” Jongdae tried the name out. “Is that you?”

“I’m Chanyeol.” Though it was a small phrase, the two words were stretched out longer than normal.

“I’m Jongdae. Um, I’ll help you down, ok?”

“Jongdae.” He repeated, watching the human approach where the rope was tied at the base of the tree.

It was tied to a protruding root, not the base itself. The rope was thick but the handiwork on the knot was extremely sloppy, it would’ve came undone on it’s own if Chanyeol had wiggled enough. With a few hard tugs, Jongdae watched as the knot slipped apart and jumped when he felt the thud of the creature hitting the ground.

“I’m so sorry!” Jongdae exclaimed, rushing to help Chanyeol up, though he wouldn’t be able to actually do anything for this massive creature. Chanyeol, in fact, didn't need his help and Jongdae ended up with his side damp for no reason.

Jongdae almost gasped when the creature stood upright. He definitely was _huge_ , standing a good three or four heads above Jongdae, and overall more bulkier than the human. It would've been scary if Chanyeol wasn't letting out waves of happiness, he seemed harmless.

Chanyeol grunted once he was fully grounded. “Thanks, friend.”

“O-oh, yeah, sure.” Jongdae smiled, this creature really is nice. Maybe he could help him out, somehow. “Say, you wouldn't know how to get out of this labyrinth, would you?”

The giant beast turned his head either way, like he was going to cross a street, and faced Jongdae once again only to shake his head and made a noise that most likely meant no.

“No?” Jongdae sighed. “Well, I guess we could work it out… together?” He really didn't want to be on his own again, it was easier to make mistakes.

“Yeah.” Chanyeol seemed happy with the idea, to Jongdae's relief.

He may have lost Kyungsoo but he gained a new friend, a scary looking one if you didn't get too close to see otherwise. Though, Jongdae wondered what would get him through here faster, wits or power. Maybe if Kyungsoo came back he'd have both.

“Alright.” Jongdae clapped, trying to motivate himself. “Should we just… walk?”

There was two options in this section, not including the one he had came from. One being the way the goblins had disappeared down, it seemed to be more hedge-like labyrinth paths. The other way was passed the tree Chanyeol was tied to and looked more open as it led to what could be a… magical forest of sorts. The trees and ground glittered and twinkled, it looked otherworldly like you could spot a unicorn weaving through the brush.

Jongdae chose the way that could lead him to unicorns. It definitely seemed like a place that could drag him into more trouble but it was a change of scenery, it wasn’t closing him in. There was something more open and relaxing about nature surrounding him. Chanyeol followed without protest and Jongdae hoped that meant this was a good decision.

“I’m finally figuring this place out.” Jongdae huffed a small laugh. “Though I have nothing to back that statement up.”

Chanyeol smiled, wide and toothy, but his head was titled in confusion, he didn’t know what Jongdae was talking about.

“C’mon.” Jongdae waved the fury creature forward to begin this adventure with this new friend.

As their walk went on, Jongdae realized that there wasn’t much too see. It wasn’t a place filled with mystical things, it was just a sparkly woods. The atmosphere was calm, Chanyeol keeping most of his fears at bay just by walking behind him. He didn’t talk at all but he still gave a friendly, protective feeling that kept Jongdae trudging through the dirt and earthly debris

“Oh.” Chanyeol’s voice sounded behind the human, catching his attention. He was staring off to the side and Jongdae trekked back to see what it was

Flamingos? That’s what it looked like, however they weren’t. There was five of them and they seemed odd, more human-like than bird. They stood like Jongdae and even seemed to be talking amongst themselves.

When one of them laughed, it’s head popped off and spun, landing back in place right after, Jongdae knew they were neither human nor bird. The human watched as the same being leaned over to the one it was talking to and whisper. Jongdae’s breath caught when they both turned in his direction

“Chanyeol…” Jongdae grabbed the beast’s hand. “I think we should go now.”

Just as he managed to budge Chanyeol from his spot, the bird-like creature began shouting for them. Jongdae quickened his pace, knowing that they were up to no good, the feeling in his gut told him so.

“Hey!”

“Come play with us!”

“Why are you running?”

Jongdae almost hit the ground when something had landed on his shoulders. He felt hands on his face and neck and wanted to scream out in fear. His hands grabbed for whatever was on him and he felt feather beneath his hands.

“Got you!” The voice was right above him, it was sitting on his shoulders. “Now we can play.”

There was a harsh tug on his head and Jongdae gasped at the feeling, stumbling about to try and shake the creature off of him. Chanyeol could be heard struggling somewhere near him, most likely receiving the same treatment but he couldn’t see with this creature keeping his head down.

“What are you doing?” Jongdae exclaimed, stretching his arms up further on the creature.

“Hey, your head doesn’t come off?”

“Of course it doesn’t!” Jongdae huffed, stilling as his hands reached it’s target. He pulled as hard he could and the head came off easily. The human didn’t look at before he tossed it as far he could.

The body on his shoulder dropped off and scrambled after it’s head.

“Hey, he threw his head!”

Jongdae turned and saw most of them on Chanyeol, the poor giant unable to do anything about it. Quickly, Jongdae made his way to him and grabbed the closest head, throwing it as well. The creatures on Chanyeol all paused and gaped at Jongdae.

“You can’t do that, it’s against the rules!” It was the one on Chanyeol’s shoulders talking.

“What rules,” Jongdae scoffed. “You’re trying to pull our heads off.”

He made a grab for that one, to try and stop him from pulling on Chanyeol but it jumped away, off of the beast. Jongdae opted for another creature’s head now that Chanyeol was able to move himself now. The head didn’t land as far as Jongdae had hoped and he cursed, knowing it was an easy recovery.

That though was blown away when the shrub next to the head had caught on fire, flames bursting and almost licking at its feathers.

“Ah!” The head exclaimed, eyes on its body. “Hurry up! Hurry up and get me!”

Another shrub erupted into flames and Jongdae gasped. This looked like the same kind of fire he had seen before he saved Chanyeol. He turned back to the beast to see him concentrating on that area where the head laid

“Chanyeol, are you doing that?”

The beast grunted in conformation and the two remaining bird-like creatures who were still intact back away slightly. Jongdae took this chance and bumped the body that was looking for it’s head, making it fall near the burning greenery. The eyes of the other two widened and Jongdae made a move towards them, only to have them run off.

“This isn’t how you play!” One of them had shouted as they retreated.

Jongdae sighed, for the nth time in this place. “It’s not like I even wanted to play.”

Chanyeol stood there like nothing had even happened, he looked as happy as ever. He was the same when Jongdae had found him and he wondered if anything ever affected the beast.

“Let’s keep going?” Jongdae suggested, unsure of himself after that weird and somewhat violent situation. He looked up at the sky and noticed that the sun was almost gone, they definitely needed to get going.

Chanyeol didn’t respond but followed the human when he lead them away from the scene. Jongdae hoped that a forest fire wouldn’t start when he glanced back at the shrubs.

The walk wasn’t a long one as they ended up facing a rock wall, Jongdae wanted to yell out when he saw it. They’d have to backtrack or find some way around it. They couldn’t climb it, well, there was no way Chanyeol could.

“There you are!”

Jongdae’s head snapped up at the voice. “Kyungsoo?”

The dwarf was there at the top of the wall, leaning over to see Jongdae. “I heard you screaming and… came back.”

Jongdae blushed in embarrassment, he thought he had kept his screams down but they must’ve escaped him anyway without him noticing in his struggle. “I thought you didn’t want to get involved with Baekhyun?”

Kyungsoo pursed his lips. “You’re not Baekhyun.”

The human grinned, he had won over the smaller being somehow. “Thanks for coming back.”

“Here let me help you up.” Kyungsoo disappeared as he resituated himself to lay flat on the wall’s surface. He held out both of his hands, intending to use his full strength to pull the human up.

“Um, I can’t leave Chanyeol here.” Jongdae gestured to his beastly friend and Kyungsoo seemed to finally notice the other’s presence. “He’s a friend too.”

Kyungsoo eyed Chanyeol, doubt clear on his face but kept his arms dangling. “We can both try to pull him.”

“That’s a crazy idea.” Jongdae deadpanned.

Kyungsoo huffed, waving his hands about. “Who cares, just get up here so we can at least try.”

The human grabbed for the small hands, pushing himself upwards against the rock as the dwarf pulled from above. It wasn’t too bad of a struggle and he made it to the top without a scratch. Now, the real challenge began.

“Okay, Chanyeol.” Jongdae called down to the beast who was standing at the wall, ready to join them. “Let’s see how this goes.”

“Yeah.” Chanyeol smiled and grabbed for their hands. He did half the work by trying to leverage himself up like Jongdae did, easing some of his weight off the other two.

The last pull was the hardest, they had to bring the giant up without his help. They managed somehow, only to find themselves toppling over the other side of the narrow wall. The all landed harshly, though the other two didn’t make a big of a sound as Chanyeol did when he hit the ground.

“I’m sorry, Chanyeol.” Jongdae scrambled up, rubbing the back of his head like it was going to ease the pain from his fall. “I keep dropping you.”

Chanyeol stood with a struggle, fighting against his giant body, but seemed alright overall. He was still smiling and brushed off Jongdae’s apology. “Chanyeol is fine.”

“Yeah, but Kyungsoo isn’t.” The dwarf was still laid out and began complaining about the fall more than actually getting hurt. He pushed himself up with a sigh and faced Chanyeol. “Nice to meet you, I’m Kyungsoo.”

“Chanyeol.” The beast didn’t really talk much so it seemed that was all the dwarf was going to get as an introduction.

“Chanyeol’s a friend.” Jongdae repeated. “Like you.”

“Friend?” Kyungsoo exclaimed, shock evident in his eyes. “Me?”

“Are we not friends? I thought that’s why you came back?”

The dwarf became flustered, fumbling for words before agreeing. “I guess so. We’re f-friends.”

“Good.” Jongdae smiled at the response, lips curling at the edges.

“Anyway,” Kyungsoo lead them away from the topic of friends, “Look there.”

He was pointing to a flower bed not too far off from where they stood. It looked off, like it didn’t belong there and Jongdae knew right away what it was.

“The Bed of Eternal Sleep?”

“Yeah.” Kyungsoo hummed, leading them closer. “Thankfully, we landed away from the flowers.”

The flowerbed wasn’t very vast or grand, it could fit a handful of people comfortably. The base was in the shape of a triangle and so many multicolored flowers sprouted from it that it seemed like they’d spill over if they grew any more. It looked soft and comfortable, a cloud made of flowers. The space surrounding it sparkled, it was inviting, it looked _magical._ As they neared, Jongdae realized why.

“Faeries.” Jongdae breathed, awestruck.

He’s never seen any before but there was no way he could deny what they were. Small human-like creatures, barely the size of his hand, with wings, playing amongst themselves. Glittering dust wafted off of them with every move, every flutter of their wings and settled on the flowers around them.

“Pesky things.” Kyungsoo grumbled. “Better get away before they set their sights on you.”

Jongdae gasped. “But they’re _faeries._ ”

“Yeah, and they’ll make a real mess out of you.” Kyungsoo pulled on Jongdae’s wrist as Chanyeol grunted in agreement. He lead them past the flowers quickly. “Heavens, they may be flower faeries but that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy their fair share of fun. They’ll try to lure you into that damned flower bed to sleep with them forever.”

The human shivered, realizing that they might be the reason for Kyungsoo’s fear of this flower bed. “How can they be in it?”

The dwarf gave him a look as if he was stupid. “They’re flower faeries.”

“Oh, okay.” Jongdae still didn’t understand but let it go when Chanyeol once again agreed with Kyungsoo, they expected the human to have a prior knowledge of fairies.

A few more feet away, they encountered a bridge, dainty in it’s build and with flowers weaved throughout it. It was cute, in a way. Jongdae wondered if Chanyeol could pass over it without it giving way. Below, there was a river filled with flowers, sweet in smell.

“Those are from the Bed of Eternal Sleep,” Kyungsoo spoke. “That’s why there’s a bridge, the water has soaked up a lot the sleep inducing properties.” Kyungsoo kicked a pebble into the water, rippling it. "It's not as strong but still, who wants to touch that?"

Jongdae nodded, eyeing the pretty sight of flowers floating about. “Well, let’s go, I guess.”

“Stop right there!” The three friends looked around for the voice, not seeing anyone until something skittered in front of them, blocking the bridge.

It was a bunny. The animal stood upright and was wielding a small sword that pointed at them.

“My name is Junmyeon and I am the guardian of this bridge!” The bunny had its chest pushed out in pride as he introduced himself, his held head high. “No one shall pass without my permission.”

“Yes, I’m sure they can’t.” Kyungsoo’s voice was sarcastic and he made a move to walk passed the bunny, only to be hit with the hilt of a sword. The dwarf doubled over, holding his stomach. “H-hey!”

“That was just a warning!” Junmyeon held his sword steady and turned to the other two. “Does anyone else want to try?”

Before Jongdae could stop him, Chanyeol was making his way over. “Hey, w-”

He was hit in the leg, the only place the bunny could reach without jumping. Chanyeol let out a yelp and made a grab for the animal-creature, only for him to bound away. The beast chased after it, dodging his advances and continuously trying to grab him and make him stop.

When Junmyeon realized that the fight was going nowhere, he had hopped up a tree, hiding somewhere in the trunk. Jongdae was going to Chanyeol to stop so they could cross the bridge now but the beast had set the tree on fire.

“Chanyeol!” Jongdae gasped, running up to him. “You don’t need to do that, look, the bridge is open.”

“Chanyeol is mad.” The beast huffed.

“It’s fine.” Jongdae patted him on the shoulder. “But you won, the bunny is hiding.”

“I did not admit defeat!” The bunny popped it's head out from the base of the trunk, away from the flames. “Although, I must admit Mr. Chanyeol has been my most worthy opponent yet.”

Jongdae smiled, not mentioning the fact that their fight wasn’t really one at all. “That’s cool. Does that mean we can pass?”

Junmyeon fully stepped out of his hiding place and huffed. “This and that are two different things. I made an oath and I will not break it.”

The human thought over the bunny’s words from before, easily finding a loophole. “Then, can we have your permission?”

“Does it work like that?” Kyungsoo asked from behind, finally gathering himself up.

Jongdae shrugged. “It should be fine, right? It’s not breaking your oath.”

The bunny gaped at the human, unable to believe it was that simple. “I, well, yes. I suppose you can have my permission.”

Jongdae nodded, already making his way to the bridge, the others following closely.

“Wait!” Junmyeon called, hopping after them. “I will join you.”

“Huh?” Jongdae stopped, holding the wood railing.

“What about your oath?” Kyungsoo remarked, passing Jongdae and crossing the bridge without them.

“Well, while I’m gone, I will give everyone who wishes to pass permission to do so.” The bunny nodded, pleased with his wits.

Jongdae blinked. “Okay.”

Junmyeon walked beside the human, asking him relating to his journey. Jongdae complied with his questions, answering without much protest. Chanyeol was behind them, the wood beneath his feet creaking with every step.

“Will we be alright?” They were almost at the end but he still questioned how sturdy this was.

“Yes, this bridge has held for a thousand years.” Junmyeon stated proudly, walking ahead to reach land before Jongdae and Chanyeol.

The moment Chanyeol’s feet had touched earth, the bridge had collapsed. The group watched as the boards fell, leaving only a flowered frame. Water was splashed upwards and they retreated further into the woods, away from it. Nothing much could be done for that.

“I guess it’s time was up.” Junmyeon mused.

“At least you won’t have to worry about guarding it.” Kyungsoo chuckled darkly.

“I suppose so.”

As they walked on, the sky had gotten dark, the sun was gone and was replaced by a bright moon. It made the woods glitter in a different way now, it was breathtaking. Jongdae fell behind the other slightly, admiring the scenery. This place was truly magical, even if it was full of tricks and danger.

There was a laugh near him, it was sweet and soft. “Are you enjoying my kingdom?”

Jongdae almost tripped on some debris when Baekhyun had spoken. “Y-you, stop doing that!”

“Sorry.” The king was amused and his eyes crescented in a genuine smile. The makeup adoring his face glowed and glittered the same way the woods did. “It’s a habit.”

The human breathed out from his nose, slow, trying to calm himself. “What are you doing here?”

“Just checking up on things.” Baekhyun hummed, gesturing to nothing in particular with a swirl of his finger. “I never thought you’d progress this far, this fast.”

Jongdae perked up. “Does that mean I’m almost there?”

Baekhyun pursed his lips, not giving any more away.

“Of course you wouldn’t say.” Jongdae rolled his eyes, already turning away to catch up to the others.

“Wait.”

“Sorry, if I’m almost there, I can’t wait.” Jongdae picked up his pace, his walk turning into a jog.

Then, he was hit. There was a sharp pain on the back of his head and he gasped, feeling his conscious fade away. He didn’t feel himself hit the ground but rather felt everything around him melt away, all he could see was the glittering of the woods and the eyes that watched him fall.

 

Everything twinkled, the decorations, the dresses, the chandeliers, even the music. The party was dreamy, everyone dressed lavishly and the atmosphere was high in excitement. It was a masquerade of sorts, masks hiding everyone’s identities, and it fed the party’s mood. All around him people danced, talked, laughed.

But Jongdae didn’t care for any of it. He looked around, hoping to find something that would interest him. He drifted through people, circling his way around dancers, in hopes to find that one thing.

Almost like he knew he was being searched for, he appeared. Whoever he was, Jongdae knew this was the person he was looking for. He was glamorous, dressed in sparkling blue and makeup done strikingly. His silver hair was tousled and styled in a messy manner, strands seeming to be gelled together in places.

Jongdae was captivated and his feet brought him forward immediately, only to be blocked by a dancing couple that passed him quickly. However, once the couple had swept passed, the man was nowhere to be seen, it was like he was never there to begin with. Where could he have gone? Jongdae found himself once again looking around, feet drifting him through the dancing, laughing, and conversations. Everyone else in the room meant nothing to him, they only left a faint buzz in his mind. Only that man mattered.

The way he was twisting and spinning through the crowd made it seem like he was dancing as well. He let out a yearning sigh, wanting to dance with the man and not around these people by himself. Jongdae twisted around again, nearly bumping his face into a feathered fan.

“Oh.” He gasped.

It moved away, revealing the man, as gorgeous as when he first saw him, dancing in between two women. Jongdae swallowed as he parted away from them and came to him, hands placing themselves in one of his and on his hip. He wanted to dance. Jongdae obliged, placing his own hands accordingly and the man whisked them off, humming to the tune playing in the background.

They spun about the room, they only words spoken between being the lyrics the man had began singing softly, not that Jongdae could really hear him. It was like his mind knew he was hearing twinkling music and a soft voice floating over it but refused to comprehend it.

All Jongdae could do was gape at the man, mouth parting in awe. He was afraid to speak, too afraid to break from this dreamlike moment. This man was all he could see, it was as if he _couldn’t_ see anything else. The edges of his vision blurred and fuzzed peculiarly, like he really was in a dream. Looking away to those around him, he saw no one else. No faces, no distinct characteristics other than their personalized masks, they only gave off the feeling that their presence was there.

Panic grew in his chest so he looked back to the man leading him around. He lifted an exaggerated brow in a questioning gaze and Jongdae’s heart hammered. Whipping his head around once again, back and forth, he looked for something, anything, that would tell him what was off right now. It wasn’t until a clock broke through his conscious, loud and deep, that Jongdae’s mind snapped back to itself.

“No, no, no, no…” He struggled out of the Goblin King’s grip, turning on him once he was free. He kept mumbling protests while running away, pushing through the crowd of masked entities.

The other put up no fight, knowing he lost this battle, and sadly watched him run away. He saw him push and shove his way frantically through the other dancers and disappear behind the bodies. The sound of breaking glass filled the room, catching everyone’s attention and soon screams ensued as the dream began to shatter, piece by piece.

Slowly, smoothly, the world began to fall away.

 

Jongdae had felt himself falling back in his subconscious and it startled him awake. He sat up abruptly and it made his head spin and ache. His breath came out in harsh heaving puffs, the feeling of falling most likely spiked his adrenaline. He looked around and found himself in the familiarity that was his room. The window next to his bed was pitch black, it was nighttime.

A dream. It was all a dream.

He sighed internally and brought himself to sit at the edge of the mattress. His head bowed down to rest between his knees and his hands grabbed for his head, he was a fetal position of sorts.

“Thank God.” Jongdae almost felt like crying tears of joy. None of that vivid nightmare was real.

“Wow!” A voice exclaimed as his door was flung open. “This was done quite nicely, if I do say so myself.”

There’s no way this was happening. Jongdae wanted to cry but instead he opted for a subtle pinch to his arm to check if he was _still_ dreaming. The other didn’t pay him any mind as he sat at the foot of Jongdae’s bed, next to him.

“An exact replica.” Baekhyun sighed contently, he was praising his own job recreating Jongdae’s room. They were still in the Goblin King’s world.

“You-we were just…” Jongdae didn’t know where to begin, he couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t.

“Hmm?” A lifted brow and cheeky smile. “What were we doing?”

“Did you do something to me?” Jongdae ignored the other question, not wanting to fall into any kind of taunting.

“Me?” Baekhyun chuckled lightly, though nothing was really funny. “Why do you ask?”

Jongdae huffed, standing and marching to the dresser across from them. He flattened his palms against the surface to have something hold him steady and hung his head, staying faced away from the other. “Jeez, I don’t know. Maybe, because one moment I’m trying to find my way through your woods and then next I’m in some sort of dreamland that brought me here when I ran.” It was easier saying what he wanted when he wasn’t near, and couldn’t see, Baekhyun.

“The ball wasn’t to your taste?” The smile in the Goblin King’s voice could be heard. He was enjoying every moment of this, for a reason Jongdae couldn’t figure out.

“I don’t know.” Only after replying did Jongdae realize that his dream was just acknowledged, but he didn’t get a chance to continue down that path once Baekhyun began questioning once more.

“You don’t enjoy seeing your room again?” A creak wasn’t heard nor were footsteps but Baekhyun’s presence was suddenly felt behind the human. A whisper. “It’s the home you so desperately wanted to see again.”

Jongdae spun, nearly bumping noses with the king. He gulped and pulled back slightly, hips hitting wood. “Except it’s not.”

A hand skimmed the surface next to Jongdae. “Yes, perhaps it’s not.”

Suddenly, there was nothing for Jongdae to lean against and he found himself falling backwards. Baekhyun’s arms were there immediately, circling his waist and pulling him closer. The Goblin King dropped his head to the other’s shoulder, shocking him enough to still.

“I just thought it’d make you happy.” Baekhyun breathed, voice almost inaudible. He picked up his head but startled Jongdae once again when he felt the king’s fingers against his scalp, rubbing soothingly. “Sorry about knocking you on the head so hard, I don't really know how to work a slingshot that well.”

Jongdae swallowed, now noticing that the entire room had vanished. They were at the very edge of the forest, greenery become sparse as the area transitioned back into an empty white space.

He opened his mouth to respond but never got the words out. Sudden shouting pulled them away. It was his name, the sound of it nearing with every passing second.

Baekhyun fully let go of the other, fingers sliding free from his hair, and began trudging away. Jongdae spun to watch him go and saw a _castle_. He had made it, he was almost home.

“I’ll see you again, soon.” The king stated, not looking back.

“Jongdae!” It was a familiar voice. “Thank goodness, we’ve found you!”

It was Kyungsoo, breaking through the last bit of thick trees and shrubs with his other friends trailing behind. They all looked a little worried but glad, from searching and ultimately finding him.

Jongdae laughed as Junmyeon began circling him in search of injuries. “I’m fine, guys. I was just-” A glance back and he realized Baekhyun disappeared once again. “....lost.”

“We noticed.” Kyungsoo sighed and approached Jongdae as the others were smothering him. He looked at the castle in the distance. “But it looks like you made your way somehow.”

Jongdae smiled slightly. “Magic.”

The dwarf snorted and began hobbling forward, leading the way once again. “Hurry, come along.”

"How much time do I have left?" Jongdae followed, the two others trailing behind. "I lost track of time while I was... lost."

Kyungsoo dug a watch from his pocket and checked the time. "An hour or so."

Jongdae wanted to laugh in disbelief over the fact that he had been gone _that_ long. Instead, he picked up his speed to match Kyungsoo’s, making Chanyeol and Junmyeon flustered with the sudden change in pace but the human and dwarf didn't slow and only glanced back once in a while to make sure the other two were there.

When they neared enough to see the details of the castle, Jongdae realized that there was no defensive obstacles in front nor around it. No guard, no moat, no giant gate, there was only a castle. The only trouble they’d have seemed to be the giant door, it was dark and made of stone, like the rest of the castle. Jongdae knocked on it once he was in arms distance, not really expecting an answer.

"This thing is pretty solid." Jongdae mused after feeling the stone beneath his touch. It wasn't hollow in the least bit. "Chanyeol?"

The beast perked at the sound of the human's hopeful voice. He immediately approached the stone and pressed his palms against the surface, getting ready to push. It gave way slightly the moment he did put pressure on it, to their relief. Now with confidence, Chanyeol gave the stone door a hard shove, grunting at the effort. The door swung up, scraping the floor slightly as it moved against it.

"Wow." Jongdae laughed, watching the dirt from the floor swirl back into place. The door must not be used very often. "You're kind of amazing, Chanyeol."

Chanyeol grinned and repeated the fact that he was amazing, making Jongdae laugh once again.

Jongdae led them, walking right into castle without the hesitation he would've normally felt. There really was no time for that anymore, he was already here with barely any time left. It was until there wasn't any footsteps coming from behind and the sound of Kyungsoo calling for did Jongdae realize he was alone.

When he looked back, his three friends were still behind the threshold, faces sad.

“What's wrong?” Jongdae’s voice quivered. He was afraid they had betrayed him somehow.

“This door isn't meant for us.” Kyungsoo replied, raising his hand and settling it against an unseen force, keeping him out. “It looks like this is as far as we can go.”

Jongdae’s jaw dropped, he had to this alone. “And what if I need you?”

“Just call.” Junmyeon sounded confident. “We’ll find a way.”

Chanyeol was nodding in agreement, eyes giving Jongdae the comfort he needed.

“Okay.” Jongdae sighed, giving into this fate. “I’ll... see you?”

A question. He really didn’t know if he would ever see them again. If he made it out of here, there’s no way it’d be possible by his own power. However, if he ended up not making it in time, he would be able to see them all the time. He took one last look at his friends, the encouraging look in all of their eyes, and knew he has to make it, they did so much for him to be able to come this far.

“Thanks, guys!” Jongdae turned, quickly bounding up the stairs, the only way out of the dimly lit room. He had figured Baekhyun was leading him right where he wanted him, to where he was waiting for him. And he was right.

When he had reached the top of the stairs and walked through the door it had lead him to, he saw Baekhyun. He was sitting across from Jongdae, legs dangling over the drop that separated them. Jongdae swallowed anxiously as he looked around the room, he walked straight into a stair maze. The only way to get to the other side, where the Goblin King sat, would be to figure his way around the endless amount of stairs that took up the room. But there was no way a human like him could do this, not when there were stairs that required him to walk upside down and horizontally.

Baekhyun grinned, like he knew what Jongdae was worried about. “You don’t have to come to me.”

“Huh?” The king’s voice brought Jongdae out of his desperate thinking.

“Your goal is the key, right?” Baekhyun stood as he talked and walked through the doorway behind him. “So catch the key.”

Jongdae jumped when he heard Baekhyun whispering the last sentence in his ear. When he whipped around the king was right behind him, eyes sparkling in amusement. He would’ve questioned what Baekhyun was going on about if he hadn’t heard footsteps suddenly running down the staircase to his left.

He knew this person, there’s no way he’d mistake him, even if he wasn’t real. “Minseok!”

The key looked back, eyes teasing and mouth wide in a gummy smile. The look was all it took for Jongdae to bound after him, the sound of his shoes hitting the stone echoing throughout the vast room. Running to catch up didn’t do much because seconds later Minseok walked right off the edge, not falling but spinning down to the staircase directly below Jongdae. He was upside down.

“Fuck.” Jongdae whispered.

There was a chuckle from above and he looked up to see Baekhyun, smiling even though his eyes weren’t. His eyes were conflicted, reflecting emotions Jongdae didn’t have the time to try and read.

Another laugh sounded to the upper left and he saw Minseok, running up another set of stairs, this time upright. He left Baekhyun to his own devices and chose a staircase that he thought would help him get to the key faster.

Jongdae didn’t know how much time had passed with him failing to catch up with Minseok and Baekhyun watching with a darkening expression. The entire time he could feel Baekhyun’s gaze getting heavier with every second, it was like he wanted Jongdae to stop the chase and give him his attention instead. He didn’t know how much longer he could take of this, no matter what he did, Minsek would disappear or would be in a place where a powerless human like himself couldn’t reach. He _really_ didn’t have the time for this. The last straw was when Minseok stood directly below him and Baekhyun had tsked, his patience also wearing thin.

“Fuck this.” Jongdae jumped. The key wasn’t that far and if he couldn’t get there with magic, he’d have to do it by his own means.

Except he never made it there. The place melted away, everything around him fell apart and disappeared into nothing. He landed on his feet softly, like he was placed there. The area was once again pure white, the only thing in sight being a single door in front of him.

Baekhyun walked out from around it, the tail of his coat waving as if there was wind blowing in this empty space. He was still very pretty, striking in all the right places and soft in all the best ones. His expression was more calm than a few minutes ago, having done away with what was bothering him.

“You really want to leave, don't you.” It wasn't a question, he knew Jongdae was trying to escape from him.

“Well, I was tricked into coming here.” Would Jongdae come here otherwise? He wasn't sure.

Baekhyun's eyes flashed, he wasn't so calm after all. “You were interested in me, weren't you?” A laugh of disbelief “Why else would you follow someone who was being as suspicious as me?”

Jongdae really didn't want admit he was _intrigued_ by the other, so he didn't flat out admit it. “That doesn't mean I wanted this.”

“Just stay here.” Baekhyun's voice was desperate, his eyes burning into Jongdae's. “Love me and you can have anything you want.”

The Goblin King couldn't _make_ him stay here, Jongdae realized, and that's why he was begging now. Jongdae had a choice and he wasn't going back on his final decision.

“You have no power over me.” Jongdae bawled his fists, holding the feeling of wanting to yell back. “I made it here on time, I took that leap, and so that key should be mine.”

Baekhyun's entire face crashed, the desperation left and was replaced by sadness. He knew this was over and slowly held out his hand, palm facing up to show the key. “You at least forgot about your lost love while you were here, right?”

Warmth spread throughout Jongdae and he shivered as it washed over him. _Oh_ _no,_ this isn't the time to waver. What Baekhyun had said was true, he was only focused on getting home. Even the Minseok-like key wasn't part of his worries because of the relation to his crush, but because it was the way back. The Goblin King hadn't got him to stay and love him, but he did give him a distraction of sorts.

Baekhyun smiled, eyes softening into something brighter. “Then, this is okay.”

“...Thanks.” Jongdae whispered, plucking the key off the other’s hand with two fingers. He passed the Goblin King to reach the door, his shoulder bumping the other’s. With a shaky hand, he inserted the golden key and turned in slowly. There was an audible click and Jongdae let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. When he opened it, it seemed like it would just lead him to the other side of the frame rather than his home but he knew it would, he felt it.

He was trying not to hesitate but he couldn’t move at all, he had to look back. But when he did, he saw nothing. The Goblin King had vanished once again and the fact had made Jongdae let out an incredulous laugh.

“You always do that.” He turned back around and walked through the door, he was returning home.

Jongdae shut the door, his eyes shut tight, not wanting to really see where the door had led him. He placed his forehead against the wood and took a deep breath before turning around and opening his eyes.

Home. It was like he had just walked through his front door. There was still small puddles on the floor, most of his mess had dried over time. His mom was going to kill him.

Speaking of his mother, the door had opened behind him and he turned to find her and her husband entering.

“Jongdae!” She started as soon as she walked in. “My floor!”

Jongdae laughed, full and hearty. “I know mom, I was just about to clean it.”

He spent the next few minutes doing so, under his mother’s supervision before he was able to retreat to his room. He flicked the light on to find it just as he left it, even the window was wide open. Jongdae hesitated before he walked over to carefully close it, pulling the curtains tightly closed.

Throwing himself onto his bed, he felt the crinkling of paper under his head. He wiggled a little to be able to pull it out. Jongdae's breath caught when he read the note that was left for him.

 

 

**_Should you ever need me, I’ll be there for you._ **

**_-Baekhyun_ **

 

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like I stuck Baekhyun in here way more than the Goblin King had appeared in the movie. The reason for that being that this IS a Baekhyun fest and I just wanted more moments between BaekChen... I hope it was alright! I also mashed up Blooming Days and Labyrinth as much as I could, it was pretty fun picking and choosing bits and pieces from both.  
> Thanks for reading!


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